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Africa Media Convention delegates tour historical sites
Nkrumah bronze head
Hundreds of delegates, stakeholders and partners from over 40 countries converged in Accra for the third African Media Convention (AMC) held on May 14-17.
It was on the theme “Enhancing freedom, innovation, and environmental sustainability in a dynamic media leadership.”
It is a collaborative effort supported by the African media stakeholders to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate the fundamental principles of freedom and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedoms and promote access to information, the safety of journalists and media viability in African Media (AU) Member States.
One of the highlights for the event was the ‘tour of the beautiful city of Accra’ by a large number of the participants who visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (KNMP), the Black Star Square, Arts Centre among others.
There were emotional moments at the KNMP as the Tour Guides briefed the participants about the life of the First President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the history behind his bronze head and statue.
Mounted separately, the head has the inscription “the bronze head of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s original statue which stood in front of the old Parliament House, Accra, vandalised during the February 24, 1966, military and police coup d’état. This was recovered and presented by a patriotic citizen to the Information Services Department (ISD) which in turn released it to the park on May 28, 2009 and mounted in the park on September 1, 2009.”
The statue also has the inscription “the original statue of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah which stood in front of the old Parliament House opposite the Old Polo grounds, Accra attacked by a mob, vandalised as it stands now in the wake of a military with police coup d’état on 24th February 1966 recovered for the national museum in 1975.”
This is on loan to the KNMP from Ghana Museums and Monuments Board mounted on 11th June, 2007.”
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
